Sunset Hill Is Family-Run—and Our Dogs Are Family First

At Sunset Hill Mini & Toy Aussies, our dogs live in our Southwest Ohio home, share our everyday lives, and are loved as our pets first. That has always been at the heart of Sunset Hill, and it remains our priority as we grow.

Over the years, we have intentionally welcomed a few trusted friends from within the Sunset Hill community onto our team. Growing our team allows us to continue giving every dog, puppy, and adoptive family the individual time, attention, and support they deserve—without losing the personal, family-centered experience that makes Sunset Hill special.

Meet the SSH Fam

Jill and the Martin family with their Mini Aussies at Sunset Hill in Ohio

Jill & The Martin Family

Chief Puppy Matchmaker

& Coordinator of the Best Job Ever!

Lover of a good challenge, great coffee, dark chocolate, fresh-baked sourdough, and vegetable gardening.

Firm believer that animals teach us more about ourselves than we ever realize. We just have to pay attention, be willing to learn, and adjust accordingly.

I truly have the best job ever!

For the full SSH backstory, scroll to the bottom of this page.

Thomas and Kendra, the behind-the-scenes team at Sunset Hill Mini & Toy Aussies

Thomas & Kendra

Our Behind-the-Scenes Dream Team

They thought they were simply adopting the cutest puppy ever, Snuggs. Then Jill joked that some people actually love spreadsheets—and she was definitely not one of them.

Thomas works with Sunset Hill on a contract basis, creating and managing the spreadsheet system that helps us track state licensing requirements, scent-analysis records, puppy information, and important adoptive-family details.

Before long, Kendra—also known as the other half of Jill’s brain—joined the SSH family too. She works with us part-time each week, helping write and organize blog and educational content, follow up with adoptive families, maintain puppy records, and keep countless behind-the-scenes details organized.

At home, Thomas and Kendra share life with their adorable son, Milo, and two SSH pups, Snuggs and Flap Jax. Kendra absolutely loves reading and traveling. Thomas loves training Snugs & Flap Jax to ridiculously awesome levels of obedience. (Yes, I am trying to convince him to quit his day job and open a Mini Aussie Dog Training program in Ohio)

Denise

Our Official Puppy Snuggler

We’ve known Denise for years through our church and community. When she announced that she was retiring from full-time work as an ASL interpreter, Jill asked whether she would like the best retirement job ever.

“Puppy Snuggler” is her official unofficial title, but her role includes calm handling, one-on-one attention, purposeful play, socialization activities, and helping puppies become comfortable interacting with people outside our immediate family.

Between litters, Denise also takes our adult SSH dogs to parks, pet-friendly stores, and around town for socialization and everyday obedience practice. She is amazing at gentle obedience training!!!

She is the proud momma of two fur-balls of her own, Lola and Pyper. In her free time, Denise loves all things crafty & creative and spending time with people to ensure they feel seen and loved. She always makes your day brighter.

The Story Behind Sunset Hill Aussies

Before Sunset Hill was in Ohio, our family farm began just north of Dallas, Texas, in the middle of farm country. Half of our property was a pecan grove, and the rest was farmland. As our number of kiddos grew, so did our farm.

We raised and bred registered dairy goats and meat goats, along with cows, ducks, and chickens. We also seemed to have a knack for collecting rescue dogs. Hahaha!

Today, we live in Southwest Ohio, closer to family and friends. We love being back north, although we still miss that Texas sunshine!

For more than 15 years, we have rescued dogs of all kinds. We even had four Great Pyrenees at once. Talk about furballs!

Then we welcomed our first registered Mini Aussie as a family pet, with the hope of one day responsibly breeding. Well, one turned into…more. LOL! But that is pretty much the story of our whole life.

Many of our kiddos have special needs and will always be part of our home. Building a family business around gorgeous little Aussies, purposeful work, and lots of learning felt like a natural fit. Our kids get to learn and love at the same time, while our adoptive families can feel confident that their puppies are being raised in a loving home with plenty of attention, handling, socialization, and training.

Today, Sunset Hill is a family-run Mini Aussie breeder in Arcanum, Ohio, built around good dogs, thoughtful matches, and lifelong support for our families.